Abstract: A gas discharge panel self shift drive system is disclosed in which shift electrodes connected to and energized by voltages supplied to a plurality of shift buses, and electrodes connected to a common bus are disposed to intersect each other at right angles with an ionizable gas filled discharge space being defined therebetween. A shift voltage is applied in succession to the plurality of shift buses to shift a discharge spot. In this system, a high voltage pulse of an erasing level is applied to the common bus; a low voltage pulse is applied to the shift buses; and a sustain voltage which is the sum of the high and low voltages is applied to discharge cells at the intersecting points of the shift electrodes and the common electrodes to sequentially shift the discharge spot.

Abstract: Discharge spots on a display device can be shifted by using the primary current effect. For the purpose of shifting the discharge spots, electrodes with a right angle to a shift direction are connected periodically to a plurality of buss to which a series of sustaining signals are supplied in a predetermined time differences. This function of shifting the discharge spots can simplify the peripheral circuit of the display device and also increase a domain of the application of this kind of display device, such as a plasma display panel.